Permutation locking mechanism for gear-shifting levers



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,652 J. PFEIFER PERMUTATION LOCKING' MECHANISM FOR GEAR SHIFTING LEVERS Filed Dec. 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Apr. *24, 1923.

J. PFEIFER PERMUTATION LOCKING MECHANISM FOR GEAR SHIFTING LEVERS Filed De. 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patenta& Apr. 24, 1 923 nare sr ras JOHNPFEFER, or SPRINGFIELLD, onto, AssIIGNon 'ro THE SPRINGFIELD AUTO LOCK "COMP NY, OF SPBINGFIELD, oHIo, A GORPORA IONOF OHIO(` PERMUTATION LOCKING MECHANISM Fon GEAR-SHIFTING LEVEBS.

Application filed December 5, 1921. Serial No. 520,099.

.7'0 aZZ whom 732* 77104 conccm Be it known that I, J OHN' Prnrrn, a citizen of v the United* States, residing at Springfield, in the County of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use'- ful Improvements in' ,Permutation Locling `Me'chztnismfor' Gear-Shifting Levers,` of

which the following is a specification.

My invention 'elates to a, permutetion lock especially designed for the-gear Shifting levers .of automobiles.

One of the objects of my invention is to devise a mechanism of the character referred i to which can be installed without .altering the shifting lever or other partis associated therewith u Another object of my invention is to provide a looking mechansm which will not only lock the lever against 'shifting movement, but also prevent the removed of the lever. f v i A further object of my invention is to devse a mechanism of. this chartcter which w'll be simple in Construction, economical in manufacture and effective in operation. In the accompanying drawings 1- y I `ig. lis a front elevation partly in section showing a gear shifting lever and its housing of conventional form, with my' improved locking devices applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fi'g. 3 is a top plan view of .the same. u Fig. 4 is a plan view of the clamping ring; .e v

Referring to the drawings, 1 represe'nts a portion of the supporting housing for the shiftng lever 2, the shifting lover being pivotally connected to the rod or shaft3 journaled in the walls of the housing so that the lever may be shifted laterallv from nentral position andthen forwardlyor rearwardly in the usual way. Thehousinghas the usual remov'able outer ?ces-ing 4: and the upper end of the housing and casing are of semi-spherical form to receive the usual the' neck. 5? of which semi-spherical' cep 5,

The lever and housing surrounds the lever.

shown aresnn plyillustrative of one exampleof a selective type of shifting devices, my improvement being applicable to practically all the different' constructions of this type without alteration therein;

In installing my devices, I employ a twoart ring, the members, of which are indicated by the reference characters 6 and "7.

The members of this ring are enlarged at their points* of juncture so as to receive clamping screws 8 by which the ring `may be clamped firmly-about the casing 4 near the lower end thereof, and to further insure the ring being held in position abouttthe casing I `also employ screws 9 which are threaded nthe ring members 6 and also threaded through the casing 4: and intothe housing 1. One of these ring members, in

thepresent. case the member 7, is provided with &pair of upstanding ears 10 to which are pivotally connected by pinsll the arms 12 of a supporting rame 13 which has projections 14:, 15 and' 16 positioned to form a channel to. embrace the shifting lever 2 when the treme is aligned with the lever. Also projecting from the frame 13 is a pair whichhve aligned apertures to receive a looking bolt 19 and between which and about the bolt are a 'series of rotatable sleeves 20 which form the permutation looking mechanism. Inasmuch as the details of this permntation looking mechanism ere described in my`Le'tters PatentNo. 1,363'A32, dated Dec. 28, 1920, it will not bene'cessary'to explain this mechanism any more than to say that when the looking bolt 19 'is' in the position 'shown in full lines, the iframe 13 may be swung to or 'from looking position and of angularly arranged bra'cketsl'? and 18 z that, whenthe frame 13 has been swung to p looking position and the bolt projected-to the dotted line' position, the frame 13 is 'locked to the lever, therings or sleeves 20 being rot'ated to lock the bolt in 'the manner fully described in the patent ,referred to.

The 'frame 13 in its normal position lies on the floor board betweenthe shifting lever andthe dash of the vehicle, the rame beingswung rearwardly to align it with the lever for lockingpurpose, bringing the `projections(141: 15 and 16 nthe path of the lateralmovement of the lever so that when the freme13hasbeenlocked to the lever,

with;the lever in neutral position, thepro-" jections will preventany laterjel i movement of' the lever from neutral position. It will also be noticed that the treme 13 'is so formed as to closely fit the cap 5 thereby preventing'its removal and also the removal of the casing 4, which thus prevents the shifting lever from being detached from its connections and thereby released from the looking devices.

llO

In order to prevent access to the clamping screws 8 and the holdingscrews 9, I form the arms 12 of the supporting frame with projections 21, which projections, when the frame is in its looking' position, conceal these screws so that removal thereof is impossible. It will be noticed that the pivot pins ll have their ends swaged so that their removal is guarded against;

By the Construction described it will be seen that a combination lock for the gear 'shifting lever of an automobile is provided which can be readily installed upon the conventional form of lever without the necessity of altering` the lever, or substituting a new lever of special Construction, or with i u any alteration in any of the other parts.

nism carri'ed entirely by said support including a inovable member arranged to cooper- `ate with said support to lock the same to the lever.

3. In a device oi" the character described, the combination, with a gear shfting lever capable of lateral movement only when in neutral position, of a novable support arr: nged to be swung n alignnent with said lever and having embracing parts for the 'same to prevent lateral. movement ot said lever, and locking mechanism carried by said supportincluding part cooperating with said support to lock the same to said lever.

t. 'In a device ot' the character described, the combination, with a gear shitting lever of conventional form, of a movable support having embracing parts for said lever and arranged tobe moved in alignment therewith to prevent shifting oi? said lever, and permutation locking mechanisn carried by said support including a slidable bolt to cooperate with said support to lock the same to said lever.

5. In a device of the character described,

the combination, with a gear shifting lever' of conventional form, of a pivoted support' arranged to be swung in alignment with said lever and having parts which embrace said lever, an angularly arranged slidable member on said support to cooperate with the same-to lock the support to said lever, and permutation looking devices for said slidable member also carried by said support;

6. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a'gear shifting lever of conventional form, of a pivoted support arranged to be swung in the direction of the forward and rearward movement of said lever, said support having-'embracing parts for said lever when aligned therewith to prevent lateral swinging of said lever, an

angularly arranged movable member carried by said support and cooperating therewith to lock the support to said lever when aligned therewith, and locking devices carried by said support for said movable member.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a gear shifting lever and its housing, a cap :for the upper end of said housing and movable thereover by the movement of said lever, of a pivotal 'rame arranged to Swing in alignment with said lever and so formed as to embrace said leverand said cap to prevent Shift-ing of the lever and removalof the' cap, and means carried on said fraine for looking the same to the lever. i

8. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a gear shifting lever and its housing, of a removab'le support Secured to said housing, a frame pivoted to said support and arranged to Swing in alignment with said lever. said framehaving embracing parts' for said lever to prevent Shifting of said lever, means carried on said 'frame for locking the same to said lever, and means asso ciated with said trame arranged to prevent removal of said support.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a gear shifting lever and its housing, of a support including 'screws' for securing the same to said housing,

a franre pivotally connected with said support and arranged to be swung inalignment with said lever, said frame' having parts thereon to embrace said lever, means for looking said frame to said lever, and parts on said frame arranged to conceal said screws when' said frame is' in its lo cking position. g

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of November, 1921.

JOHN PFEIFER. 

